Three Times
by LoveIsAzureBlue
Summary: Three times Beth and Daryl get it on. Three stand alones/one shots. No particular order but AU after MSF (Beth lives in this version... YAY!). Definitely an M rated story but quite romantic. Please review. I love reviews!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not my world, I'm just playing with it.

Chapter 1

The Bath

"What on earth ya doin', Greene?" Daryl asked entering the vast kitchen of the Fayetteville mansion where the group had taken up residence. Beth was standing in front of the restaurant sized 6-burner stove, each burner alight with a huge pot of water atop it.

Beth turned around and looked at Daryl.

"Have you seen the size of the tub in the master bathroom of this place?" She said in response.

"Don't got much reason to go into Maggie and Glenn's room to be honest." Daryl replied.

Beth walked over to Daryl and grabbed his hand, then led him through the enormous living and entertaining area into the master bedroom. The adjoining bathroom was large enough to fit his old man's entire house, and the focal point was an enormous bathtub. There were candles lit all around it and Daryl saw that it was about half filled with water.

"I'm not passing up the opportunity for a hot bubble bath in this thing before we hit the road again." Beth said, smiling at Daryl.

The pots of water on the stove now made sense. They were lucky that the mansion where they were staying had running water. It was on it's own well and, somehow, was on a pump that apparently did not run on electricity. It was a nice surprise when they first turned on the spigots and found water flowing freely. It was cold, but it was fresh and each of the group had embraced the chance to take a real shower, no matter how icy the water. But, leave it to Beth to take it to the next level, rekindle a luxury from the old world that was lost to most of them now. A hot bath… bubbles and all. Daryl couldn't help but smile.

They were alone in that spacious house today save for Sasha and Tyrese who were watching baby Judith in one of the many upstairs rooms. The others were out on a run. They would be leaving soon. With D.C. being a bust, the group had decided to head south for the remainder of the Georgia winter. They ended up in town called Fayetteville, a former wealthy area in Southern Georgia with plenty of large houses for them to scavenge and wait out the cold. They'd been staying in an 11 bedroom mansion for the past few weeks, but winter was starting to wain, and there was talk of making another go North, especially now that Beth and Carol were well enough to travel. Carol, in fact, had demanded on going on the run with Rick today – her first since they had left Grady hospital. Beth had decided to stay back to "do some housekeeping" she'd said. And, as was so often the case now days, Daryl had opted to stay with her, "just in case anything happens." That was Daryl's reason every time he chose to forgo an outing. It was bullshit though and everyone knew it. Truth was he didn't want to leave Beth. He'd lost her once, almost lost her again when that bitch cop, Dawn, fired a shot so close to Beth's head it grazed her temple and left an angry scar from the corner of her eye to her hairline. No way in hell Daryl was gonna risk losing her again- especially not now.

Daryl and Beth had pretty much become the new Glenn and Maggie by now, just not so extroverted about it. Everyone knew what was going on between them, though. They noticed the stolen kisses, the surreptitious touches, the fact that they came out of the same bedroom some mornings, both looking unnecessarily tired, disheveled and oddly cheerful. No one said anything about it. "Ain't nobody's business anyway," Daryl had said to Beth one morning when Rick had come to find Daryl to help with some random walkers that were roaming about the property and had instead found Daryl and Beth asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms under the covers of the large four poster bed. Rick didn't say anything about it after he'd awaken Daryl. He just looked at the two of them, a surprised but amused expression on his face, and left the room so they could extricate themselves from each other in peace. The only other mention of his relationship with Beth came a few days later when he was out setting snares with Maggie.

"You hurt her and you'll be answering to me," was all she said on the matter. It was all that needed saying. Daryl nodded in understanding and that was the end of it. He knew Maggie had to say something. As Beth's older sister, it was her right and her duty. It didn't need to be said though. Daryl had no intention of hurting Beth or letting anyone else hurt her in any way, shape or form. She was his now - his to watch over, his to protect even if she didn't think she needed to be protected, even though she teased him constantly about how she didn't need him. He needed her though. Needed her like air, like a thirsty man needs water, and he'd be damned if he was gonna screw it up.

It was hard for him sometimes. Daryl didn't know how to love someone – never had before. Beth made it so Goddamned easy, though. She forgave his missteps, his accidental rudeness, the way he sometimes withheld himself from her – afraid to open up, to let her see his scars both physical and emotional. Then she'd remind him that the past was the past, that he was no longer who he was, that she truly thought he was a good person. And when she caressed him in the night, ran her fingers tenderly over the healed wounds on his back, it was like she was healing the wounds in his heart as well.

"Could you help me with the water?" Beth asked, bringing Daryl back to himself.

It took twelve boiled pots of water to fill the tub the remainder of the way. Beth had poured in some sweet smelling bubble bath and the room now smelled of lavender and soap and… her.

"Want to join me, Mr. Dixon?" Beth said coyly, unbuttoning the blue blouse he loved because it brought out the color of her cornflower eyes. Daryl scoffed.

"Nah, ya don't want me muddying up that nice clean water." He said. Truth be told, he'd never had a bubble bath in his life – not even as a kid. He could practically hear Merle's voice in the back of head at the thought of joining Beth in that vast tub filled with bubbles and flowery smelling potions.

_"Go ahead Darlina, jump in that girly bath. Maybe you can braid each other's hair while you're at it…"_

As if reading his thoughts (which she seemed to have an uncanny ability to do), Beth took a step toward Daryl and wrapped her arms around his neck. Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist. She placed her lips to his tenderly, warmly, the way she did when she was trying to reassure him.

"Please?" She asked softly.

She wasn't playing fair, asking him like this, topless except for a creamy white bra, her body warm and soft and inviting. She could have asked him to build her the goddamned Taj Mahal right then and he would have done it. So he wasn't surprised when he found himself unbuttoning his shirt, removing his jeans, stepping into the bath. He lowered himself into the hot, sweet smelling water and watched as Beth stepped in after him. She inched down and placed herself between his legs, her back against his chest, her head resting on his pectoral muscle.

He couldn't deny it – this felt great. The warm water heating him from the outside in; Beth's body pressed against his, soft and silky and beautiful.

Beth sighed and closed her eyes.

"Feel good, Mr. Dixon?" She said drowsily, raising her hand out of the water and caressing his cheek above her.

Daryl grunted throatily in response. Hell yeah this felt good, but he couldn't say that out loud. Merle was still too loud in his mind.

Beth opened her eyes and tilted her head back so she could look at him. Goddamn it, she was beautiful. The scars left on her by her time at the hospital only made her more gorgeous. They were proof of how strong she was, how resilient, how tough yet somehow still so sweet and tender.

"God, I love ya." Daryl said passionately.

Beth smiled softly.

"I love you too." She said.

Daryl lowered his lips to hers and kissed her. His hands glided down her arms and entwined her fingers with his under the water. He wanted to stay like that forever. He felt so warm and safe and loved like this. Merle's taunting voice was gone now, replaced with Beth's soft sighs of contentedness.

A little while later, the water starting to cool slightly, Beth untangled her hands from Daryl's and placed them on his thighs. Daryl opened his eyes and looked at Beth who was looking up at him slyly. She squeezed his legs gently, then slowly began sliding her hands up his thighs toward his groin.

"Whatcha doin', Greene?" Daryl asked with a smile, his manhood hardening against Beth's buttocks.

"Making sure you enjoy your bath." She said finding his erection and wrapping her hand around it firmly. She squeezed softly and slowly began caressing him.

Daryl closed his eyes again and lay his head back against the edge of the tub, lost in the feel of Beth's soft hands on him.

"Feel good, Mr. Dixon?" She asked again, this time slyly.

"Yeah." Daryl breathed, his voice a strangled whisper of pleasure. Beth released him then and Daryl opened his eyes to see Beth turning in his arms. Straddling him in the huge tub, she lowered herself onto him, the warm lips between her legs capturing his hard shaft.

Daryl wrapped his arms around Beth as she slowly moved up and down on him, the warm water splashing in little waves around them. God, she felt good, her body hot and wet and her skin like silk under his fingers. He knew he wouldn't last long with her, not with the way she was moving with him, the added sensation of the warm bath caressing them. Daryl suddenly gripped Beth tightly around the waist and stood up, lifting her with him. She giggled and encircled him with her legs. Daryl stepped out of the tub, his lips on hers, and collapsed onto the carpeted floor next to the bath, Beth under him. There, he began moving into her hard, his pace increasing in time to Beth's small pants, her moans of pleasure until she cried out his name, her nails digging into his flesh as she shook beneath him until he fell apart too. After, they lay together on the floor, both breathing fast. A few minutes later, Beth giggled again.

"So, Mr. Dixon, did you enjoy your bath?" She asked, raising her head, a coy smile on her face.

Daryl smiled and pulled her down to his lips in response. She tasted like lavender and honey.

"It wasn't so bad." Daryl smiled. Beth laughed and kissed him again. Then they got up and dressed.

The scent of the bubble bath lingered on his skin for the rest of the day, but Daryl found he didn't mind. Smelling like a girl for a day was a small price to pay for the pleasure of taking a hot bath with Beth Greene.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still not my world, but still having fun with it.

Chapter 2

Behind the Garage

Daryl didn't really like it here, this 'Alexandria Safe Zone'. Safe it was – and sterile and structured. And that's what Daryl didn't like about it. It was too clean and straight-laced for someone like him – someone used to living by his own set of rules, living on the outside with no one to tell him what to do. People told him what to do here. He had a job. Not just watching the perimeter and hunting every few days like he had at the prison. Here, he had an actual job, a boss to answer to. He was working in the Zone's one mechanics shop, helping to keep the few vehicles in Alexandria fixed up for runs and emergency escapes. When the group had arrived in Alexandria several weeks ago, the rules were laid out for them in no uncertain terms: They could come and go as they pleased so long as they went during the daylight hours. They would be provided housing, food and clothes and could stay there as long as they wanted as long as they worked to help maintain the safe zone and did their part. There was no monetary system, but everyone earned their keep. It was a good system for most and everyone in Rick's group was happy to finally have a safe place where they could live free from the ever present threat of walkers. And rightfully so. There was no way walkers could get into this place. A twelve foot brick and concrete wall surrounded the perimeter of the zone and wood spikes along the base all but assured any walkers would be impaled before they could even touch the brick. The gates to the city were heavy reinforced wood and anyone coming into the zone had to go through two redundant gates before they could approach them. A breach was all but impossible here, and for that Daryl was grateful. Grateful because he knew the group – his family - was safe… knew _she_ was safe.

Beth had, not surprisingly, adapted to life in Alexandria easily. She was working as a teacher's aide at the small makeshift schoolhouse where about a dozen kids between the ages of five and twelve would go for lessons everyday. Beth taught them reading and music. She loved it. She told Daryl that almost every night when they laid down together in their bed in the little two bedroom apartment they were sharing. She would tell him all about her day, what new discoveries the kids were making, the funny little quirks each of them had. He would smile and chuckle gruffly. Then she'd inevitably ask him about his day and he would grow quiet and distant and respond with "fine".

_Fine. _That's what it was. He supposed he could live with "fine" if it meant safety and security for them - for Beth. But the fact that he stuck out like a sore thumb in this place grated on him. People were friendly enough to him, but no one seemed to want to get too close in proximity to him or get to know him at all. He wasn't really surprised. He had something of a wild and feral look about him. While the rest of the group had quickly visited the clothing depot to find clean changes of clothes when they arrived, Daryl had opted to remain in his holey jeans and button up flannels, his winged vest ever present. He didn't cut his hair, and on any given day could be seen either covered in grease, or carrying a string of dead animals that he'd hunted up. Since Daryl wasn't exactly the type to pursue a friendship, he stuck to those he knew – Rick, Carol, Michonne, and when they weren't around and Beth was busy, he simply sought solitude.

Daryl had made the back of the Mechanics shop his own little respite. He'd set up a rickety plastic chair and an old cable reel for a table just outside the back door of the shop. At night, after his shift, he'd sit back there with his feet up on the reel, smoking cigarettes (even though he knew Beth didn't like it) and watch the sun set. He liked it back there because no one knew to look for him so no one ever bothered him there.

Except Beth. Beth knew this was Daryl's haven because she was the only person he'd told about it – shared it with. And she _never_ was a bother. She'd often meet him back there after she was done at the school and she'd sit on his lap and they'd watch the sun go down together. It was nice. It was one of the few times Daryl felt normal and didn't mind living in this weird, sanitary little world.

Today was one of those days. Harold, the shop's owner, had closed up early that day. He bid Daryl goodnight and left without any ado. Daryl finished the oil change on the old jeep he was working on before walking out the back door to his little haven. He glanced at the clock on the wall on his way out. It was not even four yet and he knew Beth didn't usually get off until about 4:30. So, Daryl sat down in his chair and pulled out a crumpled pack of Camels. He felt guilty about smoking, knowing Beth would smell it on him, but cigarettes were surprisingly easy to come by in this place and some habits die hard. So he lit up his smoke and sat back in his chair. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back so his face could catch the rays of the falling sun.

"Hey handsome." Beth's voice came out of nowhere. Daryl quickly stood up, threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. Beth chuckled.

"Too late, I caught you." She teased.

Daryl flushed a little, but Beth was smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in for a kiss. She crinkled her nose a little at the taste of fresh smokes on his lips, but didn't admonish him, didn't punish. She was so damn forgiving, that Beth Greene.

"You're off early." Daryl said happily, his hands resting on Beth's hips. She was wearing a pretty blue knee-length floral dress, her hair tied back in a neat pony tail. She was the picture of an elementary school music teacher – looking so sweet and innocent, smelling like lavender and baby lotion. Times like this, it was easy to forget that just outside these walls the world had gone to shit.

"Yeah, the kids didn't do art today so there wasn't much to clean up." Beth replied. "I saw Harold walking toward the canteen so figured you'd be alone… might not mind if I bugged you for a while." Beth said smiling.

"Ya never bug me." Daryl said and leaned down to place his lips to Beth's again.

"How was your day?" Beth asked, leaning her head on Daryl's chest, her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Fine." Daryl replied flatly. Beth raised her head and looked at him. She was frowning a little, her brow furrowed.

"I keep hoping that one day I'll ask you that question and you'll be honest with me." Beth said after a moment of silence, suddenly cold. She dropped her arms from Daryl's waist and took a step back.

Daryl looked at Beth, surprised by her sudden mood.

"What's up?" He asked.

Beth shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "Nothing, I'm just tired of being lied to." Beth said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The hell you talkin' about?" Daryl asked.

Beth sighed. "Why can't you ever tell me how you really feel about this place? I'm not stupid you know, Daryl Dixon. I know you don't like it here! I know you don't feel like you fit in. But you keep pretending with me… pretending that you're "fine". Why don't you tell me how you really feel?" Beth said hotly.

Daryl felt the blood rise to his face. He felt like a cornered animal and, like a cornered animal, his response was to lash out.

"Ya don't know what the fuck you're talking about." Daryl said coldly. Beth's eyes widened. He hadn't talked to her like that since the night at the moonshine shack, but just like then, she wasn't about to back down.

"Oh really? You expect me to believe every single day everything is just _fine_? That you never get pissed that you're forced to work here, doing what people tell you instead of out there doing what you want?" Beth replied hotly.

"What do ya want me to say, Greene?" Daryl shouted.

"I want you to be honest with me!" Beth cried.

"You want honesty? Fine! Yeah, I don't like this place! I don't like having to work on a schedule and not being able to go out huntin' when I want! I don't like being a fuckin' mechanic, fixin' cars so that _other_ people can go out on runs and gettin' nothin' in return! But, ya know what? It is _fine_! It is fine because it means you're safe! Because it means that I ain't gonna lose you to the shitty world outside these walls! So I'll work this shitty job for the rest of my goddamned life if it means you're protected!" Daryl shouted.

Beth was looking at him, her wide eyes filling with tears. There was a beat of silence before Beth finally spoke.

"You're doing all this for me?" She asked quietly, her voice choked.

"Hell yeah I'm doin' it for you! Goddamnit Beth, I… I love ya!" Daryl said.

He stumbled a bit when he said these three words. They were foreign to his tongue but tasted so sweet, so genuine.

Beth looked at Daryl wide-eyed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Daryl… I…" Beth stuttered.

"Ah fuck it!" Daryl shouted and swept Beth up in his arms, crushed his lips to hers.

Beth returned Daryl's kiss in kind and wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck and her legs around his waist as he kissed her hard and passionately. His tongue probed her lips and she opened her mouth to let it dance with hers. She tasted so goddamned sweet, was so goddamned desirable. He felt himself grow hard beneath his jeans and knew she felt it too by the way she ground herself against him.

Daryl backed Beth against the brick wall of the garage. Beth's lips dropped from his mouth to his neck which she licked and kissed and sucked. He was sure she was leaving marks but couldn't bring himself to care. Her mouth on his flesh felt too damn good.

Beth unraveled her legs from Daryl's waist, inciting an involuntary groan of protest from him. She smiled, though, and dropped her hands to his belt, which she began to undo with deft haste. Realizing what she was doing, Daryl dropped his hands to Beth's dress and began hiking it up around her hips. Beth had freed him by now, undone the fly of his jeans and pulled them down just enough so that his erection was easily accessible. Her soft hands were stroking him gently, making it difficult for him to concentrate on getting his hands hooked in her underwear. When he finally managed to get his thumbs under the elastic of her undies, he pulled them down gently. He took one hand and cupped Beth's mound so he could feel her heat and wetness. Beth moaned and began stroking him faster, harder, heightening his arousal. Then, to his pleasant surprise, she dropped to her knees, looked up at him slyly, and took him full into her mouth.

Daryl groaned as Beth's mouth slid up and down his length, sucking and licking and teasing him to the brink. Knowing he wouldn't last if Beth kept this up, Daryl placed his hands gently on Beth's shoulders and guided her back to standing. Then he wrapped his arms firmly around her, lifted her off her feet, and pushed her against the wall again. Beth responded by wrapping her legs around Daryl again so that her opening was at the tip of his penis. She stopped kissing him and looked into his eyes, smiling softly. Her pupils were dilated with arousal and Daryl felt like he would come apart if he didn't enter her soon. With a firm thrust, Daryl pushed himself into Beth. She gasped and bit her lip, then moaned as he moved deeper into her. Daryl gripped Beth's thighs with his hands and helped her slide up and down on his shaft while pressing his lips to hers hungrily. Beth moaned into his mouth and Daryl increased his pace. He wanted to feel Beth explode around him, wanted to feel the pleasure he was giving her. Needed to so that he knew she forgave him for being such an asshole sometimes.

Beth's breath was coming in little gasps now as she rode him up and down. Daryl could feel her tightening against him; knew she was close.

"Cum for me baby." Daryl said throatily into Beth's ear. She whimpered softly, panting in time to his movement. Then she grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and tightened all around him while she cried his name over and over. His name on her lips was his own undoing and he came into her hard with a groan of pleasure. He buried his forehead into her neck as his body pulsed into hers.

When they were done, Beth unwrapped her legs from around Daryl's waist and stood on tippy toe in front of him, her back still pressed to the wall. Her lips were swollen and her cheeks were flushed and she looked fucking beautiful to Daryl.

"I love you too." She said quietly, smiling softly. Daryl kissed Beth lightly, then leaned his forehead against hers

"There are worse things then fine, ya know. Like bein' without you." Daryl whispered. Beth looked at Daryl.

"I don't want you to be unhappy." Beth said.

Daryl raised his head and looked at Beth warmly.

"I won't be so long as you're here with me." Daryl said. He knew he wasn't being entirely truthful. He knew this job would always bore him and a part of him would always crave the freedom of the outside. But he was with Beth and as long as he had her, 'fine' was just fine.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing except this little plot.

Chapter 3

The Orchard

It was easy to forget the world outside the fences of the ten acre farm the group had been staying at for the past four days. To say it was beautiful here was an understatement – a pecan orchard, a running creek and a flourishing vegetable garden were just part of it's splendor. It's best feature was that it was safe. The entire ten acres was encircled with a 6 foot wrought iron fence, the top of each post ending in a sharp fleur de li. In addition, spiral razor wire had been added to the top of the fence. Daryl wondered if the owner of this place had added it before or after the world went to shit. Either way, he was grateful.

They hadn't come across any walkers here save one - one that they assumed was the late owner of the property. He looked to have died recently - was "fresher" than most of the other walkers they encountered. They had found him inside the sizeable farm house in one of the bedrooms. Daryl had dispatched him quickly with his crossbow and they buried him outside in a little makeshift graveyard where four other graves were marked with crosses. Everyone assumed that it was the man's family. The least they could do was lay him to rest with them.

Now the group had taken up residence in the house, each enjoying the respite from the exhausting journey north they had been enduring for the past several weeks. They were all tired, hungry, and worn to their cores. Rick still had every intention of pushing to the so called "Alexandria Safe Zone" a passing stranger had told them about several weeks before. But, for now, they would use this house to take a break, recoup, and fill their bellies with the food that was growing here.

The only one who seemed unhappy with the current living arrangement, oddly enough, was Beth. She had been quiet and withdrawn since they arrived at this place – very within herself. When Daryl tried to ask her what was wrong, she offered him a weak smile and said nothing before walking away to help Maggie with dinner. This wasn't like her. It worried him. He and Beth had become close – really, really close, over the past few weeks. They were always together in some capacity lately. He stuck by her side when they were out on the road – her subconscious and conscious protector. She would go with him when he went hunting and he continued to show her how to track and how to fire the crossbow. She was getting pretty damn good at it. A few nights – cold nights when they were stuck out in the open – she had curled up by his side and he'd draped her with his poncho and put his arms around her and they fell asleep together. There had been a few stolen kisses too. The first time was during a hunt and Beth had found a crab apple tree. The apples were ripe and tart and juicy and when Beth bit into one, juice dribbled down her chin and onto her shirt and Daryl didn't think he'd ever seen anything so sexy. Before he even realized what he was doing, he had leaned in and captured her lips with his. It was a short kiss – lasted no longer then a few seconds. When Daryl pulled away looking sheepish and flushed, Beth had smiled and caressed him softly on the cheek before turning back to the tree and picking more fruit for the rest of the group. They didn't talk about the kiss, but it lingered between them like a fragrant perfume, and they smiled at each other surreptitiously. Then they would find reasons to touch each other, to be alone together as much as possible. More kisses followed the first - each time a little longer, a little more passionate. So Beth pulling away from Daryl this week at the farm house both confused and worried him. He was sure he hadn't done anything to fuck things up – not yet anyway. So why was she so distant?

Daryl had been out hunting rabbits that morning and Beth had opted not to go with him, which he didn't like. They hadn't passed up an opportunity to be alone together once up until now. When Daryl walked into the kitchen and Beth wasn't there, his heart sank. Tara and Carol were in the kitchen, chatting and pealing carrots when he set down the rabbits.

"Hey, you guys seen Beth?" He asked by way of greeting.

"She said she was going for a walk about an hour ago." Tara said.

"Alone?" Daryl asked, alarmed.

"Yes. She seemed to be upset about something but wouldn't say what." Carol replied, looking at Daryl knowingly. She and Daryl still shared a special bond – a brotherly/sisterly relationship that allowed them to communicate with each other without even speaking.

"Do you know which way she went?" Daryl asked, hitching his crossbow on his shoulder.

"I think she said she was going to the orchard." Tara replied.

"Thanks." Daryl said and he walked out the kitchen door and headed toward the rows of pecan trees a short distance away.

It didn't take Daryl long to find her. He found her footprints first – barefoot, which didn't surprise him but pissed him off. Beth hated to wear shoes and took them off more then he'd like should they have to run. It was her crying that led him to her though – deep, throaty, agonized sobs of pain and grief that went like an arrow though his heart. He found her sitting under a pecan tree near the perimeter of the yard, curled up in a ball on an old wool blanket. Her forehead was on her knees and she was shaking with the sobs that wracked her body.

Daryl walked over to her quickly and knelt down beside her. He didn't want to startle her, so he put a gentle hand on her shoulder. Beth's head shot up. Her eyes were puffy and red, her cheeks splotchy, and Daryl could tell she'd been crying for a long time.

"Hey, you ok?" Daryl asked softly, brushing a strand of hair out of Beth's face. She gave him a watery half-smile and nodded.

"What's goin' on?" He asked delicately, his gruff voice low in an effort to be sensitive. He wondered if he sounded foolish or fake. If he did, Beth didn't seem to notice or care. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting, Daryl." She said, little hiccups punctuating her words. "It's just – this place. It's so much like home and I can't stop thinking about my mom and Dad and brother, and Otis and Patricia. Everyone, _everyone_ I've lost. And I know I should be grateful that we found this place and we're safe, but it just… it…" Beth closed her eyes and let out a sob. "It just makes me want more than anything to have them back. To be back home – back in a world that's not full of walkers and constant fear and hunger and running all the time." She finished.

Daryl furrowed his brow, his heart aching for this girl who he cared about so much. He knew there was nothing he could say to take away her grief, knew he couldn't undo the pain of losing her family. So he did the only thing he could – he took her in his arms, held her head gently to his chest and let her sob. Beth wrapped her arms around Daryl's torso and cried desperately, soaking his shirt through with her tears.

They stayed like that for a long time until Beth was finally cried out. Then she raised her head and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

"You must think I'm so weak." Beth said guiltily, looking at Daryl. Daryl shook his head.

"Nah. You've been strong for too long… haven't even really had a chance to mourn your family. You deserve to be sad about it all sometimes." Daryl said. Beth smiled at him and placed a salty kiss on his lips.

"You're a good man, Daryl Dixon." She said warmly, then placed her lips to his again. Her lips lingered chastely on his for a moment, then seemed to melt into his. She began kissing him hard, fully, her mouth working against his with surprising fervor. Daryl kissed her back, succumbing to her passion even if alarm bells were going off in the back of his mind. He knew Beth was feeling lonely, vulnerable, and he didn't want to take advantage of that.

But she was clinging to him so tightly, kissing him so seductively, her tongue caressing his lips until he opened his mouth to her. Her hands snaked their way under his shirt and he couldn't help the physical reaction his body was having – the tightness in his groin, the hardness of his penis.

It took every ounce of will power Daryl possessed to pull away from Beth but the voice in his head screaming at him to stop before Beth did something she regretted was getting too loud to ignore. Daryl broke his lips from Beth's soliciting a groan of protest from her.

"Beth, wait, I don't think we should do this right now." Daryl said, his voice weak and unconvincing. "You're feelin' sad and lonely and…"

Beth quieted him by putting her lips on his again.

"That's why I need you right now, Daryl." She whispered against his mouth. "I need to feel like things are normal. I need to feel something besides sadness. I need you to make me forget how shitty the world is now. I need to be close to you. I just need you."

The voice of reason inside Daryl's head was struck silent at Beth's words.

"Ah, hell…" Daryl moaned in surrender and pressed his lips to Beth's fully and deeply. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and pulled her onto him before laying them down on the damp floor of the orchard and resting atop her. His raging hard-on pressed against her pelvis and Beth ground herself against it. Daryl moaned into her mouth. Beth dropped her hands from around Daryl's neck and pushed the winged vest off of him, then began unbuttoning the sleeveless flannel he wore underneath. Daryl found himself tensing up at the thought of exposing his scarred flesh. Few people knew about the marks that marred his skin and while he knew Beth was aware of his violent past, he couldn't help but tremble slightly when Beth loosed the last button and pushed the shirt off his shoulders. The insecure, irrational, emotionally wounded part of him expected Beth to recoil in disgust at the sight of the angry scars zig-zagged across his torso and back. But she didn't. Of course she didn't. Instead she placed a gentle hand to the darkest and angriest of the wounds before placing her lips to it. She kissed his scarred skin so tenderly that Daryl felt a lump rise to his throat. She was so accepting, so loving. He had never in his life known anyone like that. And all at once, Daryl Dixon realized he was in love with Beth Greene.

Daryl gently put his rough hand to Beth's smooth cheek. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. Daryl didn't know how to say those three words – had never had occasion to say them to anyone in his entire life. But he looked in Beth's eyes, held her gaze in a way he hoped she understood. Beth smiled at him softly and placed her lips to his tenderly before moving her hands to the hem of her shirt and pulling it over her head. She wasn't wearing a bra and Daryl's eyes moved to her perfect porcelain-white breasts.

"Touch me, Daryl." Beth whispered and guided his hand to her right breast. He stroked it gently, running his thumb over the hard pink nipple before dropping his mouth to it, licking and sucking the sweet flesh. She moaned and ground herself against him again, harder this time, over and over until the restriction of his jeans was actually painful. As if reading his mind, Beth dropped her hands to his fly and deftly loosed the zipper and button, then pushed his pants and boxers off his hips, freeing his erection. Daryl was trembling now, not with cold or nerves but with utter anticipation. He wanted to know her completely – from the inside out. He wanted to know what would make her cry out in pleasure as he moved inside her.

Daryl dropped his lips to Beth's abdomen and kissed his way down to the front of her jeans. He undid them quickly and, kneeling between her legs, gently pulled them down. Daryl moved Beth's legs so he could slide her pants all the way off, then lowered his lips to her ankle. Slowly, he began kissing and licking his way up her legs, pausing to relish the feel of her silky flesh against his stubbly cheeks, the way she smelled like Vanilla and sunshine, the salt of her flesh on his tongue. When he reached the V between her legs, Daryl paused only long enough to place a warm kiss on each of her thighs before gently stroking her with his tongue. Beth gasped and bucked against him. He smiled when he felt Beth thread her fingers into his hair. He continued to work at her – licking and stroking until Beth was panting and saying his name over and over. By then, Daryl's entire body was aching with want. Daryl kissed his way up Beth's abdomen, stopping to kiss each of her breasts, before finally reaching her mouth. In an insanely arousing way, Beth licked Daryl's lips, tasting herself on them. The act very nearly sent Daryl over the edge. He crushed his lips to hers and entwined her hands with his, gently pinning them to the earth near her head. She smiled and bit playfully at Daryl's lips and, at that moment, the only thing in the universe that he wanted was to be inside Beth Greene.

With a gentle thrust, Daryl slid into Beth's wetness. She was silky and tight around him – virginal though he knew she wasn't a virgin. She had confessed that to him one night many weeks ago. A part of him was jealous that some other guy had known Beth in that way. Another part of him was relieved because the last thing he wanted was to hurt Beth in any way and he knew a girl's first time was supposed to be painful. But Beth was showing no signs of pain as she lay beneath him, panting in rhythm to his movements, her fingers digging into his back. Except for when he leaned down to kiss her lips, her cheeks, her neck and anywhere else that his lips could reach, Daryl kept his eyes on hers. She was moaning softly and every few minutes, threaded her fingers through Daryl's hair and pulled his head down so his lips met hers. Then she wrapped her arms tightly around Daryl's neck and he took the signal to change position so Beth could be on top, straddling him. Daryl lay back on the blanket and placed his hands on Beth's hips. She moved against him slowly and sensually at first, then quickened her pace. A few minutes of this and she threw her head back in rapture and came to her fall. And when her body stopped pulsing, she collapsed on Daryl with a sigh of pleasure. She kissed his neck and licked her way up his jawline before finding his lips. She pushed hers to his firmly, plunged her tongue into his mouth. It was almost his undoing. Daryl sat up and gripped Beth tightly in his arms before rolling them over so he was on top again. The restraint he had been wielding so he could be slow and gentle crumbled and Daryl found himself moving into Beth hard and fast. Beth wrapped her legs around Daryl's thighs and arched her back into him, clearly enjoying Daryl's rougher pace. Then, he felt the heat rise in him, his throat and groin constricted and with a groan of ecstasy, he came apart. He pressed his lips to hers as his manhood spasmed and throbbed inside her. Then he collapsed atop her, burying his face in her neck. Beth wrapped her arms around him tightly and held him to her as they came down from their climaxes. It was several minutes before Daryl raised his head and looked at Beth. She had a hazy, drowsy look in her eyes. Her lips were puffy and red and her cheeks were pink. She was smiling softly, lazily, and was tracing small circles onto Daryl's back with the tips of her fingers.

Daryl put his hand on the side of Beth's cheek and stroked it gently with his thumb. Beth closed her eyes at his touch and tilted her head into his caress.

"You ok?" Daryl asked quietly. It was a stupid question he knew, but Daryl had never 'made love' to anyone before. He'd fucked plenty of women - most of them paid for by Merle. But he had never been with a woman who he wanted to stay with after, who's arms he just wanted to lay in, who he wanted to hold and never let go of. Until now.

Beth smiled and nodded and Daryl smiled back.

"Beth…" He said, his face suddenly turning serious, his voice low and gravelly. "I… I..."

Beth smiled again, wider this time, and raised her hand to Daryl's cheek.

"I know. I love you too." She said. Daryl smiled and lay his head down on Beth's chest.

The sun was setting now and it was getting chilly, but neither were inclined to move. Instead, Daryl grabbed the edges of the blanket they were laying on and pulled it around them, surrounding them in a cocoon of warmth. And there they stayed, wrapped up in each other, until well after the sun set. Only then did they unwind their limbs from each other, get dressed, and, hand in hand, walk back to the house.


End file.
